The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-10-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.
The President and The Wife of
the President

ions of people OF this number il i SAFE TO
say that there are not Ten Thousand who
have any personal knowledge Of even the
leading traits of their highest officials. We
claim 10 De free people; and YET. ef all
people ON earth, We are the most ablect slaves
to our leaders. We not only follow them,
but We adopt their idefs and their preisdices.
Hence The importance Of fiis and truthful
teaching.
propose in this letter 10 give 10 the read
ers of the HERALD as nearly a. possible cor
rect description offheir President. Physically
be was described by New York paper tthe
/ San, beIieve), a. gentleman who weighs
/ two hundred and fiffy pounds, and wears a
twenty-five collar. He Is fair fat and fifty"
1 He has fine eye, and impresses you with
I the conviction that be is thoroughly honest
! Unlike most fat men. he IS not lazy.
/ In view of what have said, the statement
I | am about to make will astonish the reader
! who has not made human nature q study
/ Mr. Cierelaad Is the most dangerous man tia,
I has erT been eleTafod 10 he Presideacyi
reach this conclusion for the following rea-
sons
First. He is thoroughly self-opinionated.
There is not man in or out of his party. in
whose opinion he has as much confidence
as in his own.
!secDnd. He is stupidity stubborn. Firm
ness is an admirable trait, but Mr. Cleveland
mistakes dogged tenacify or stubbornness for
firmness Jackson was firm, but he could
listen TO advice. Lincoln was firm in his
convictions of right; and popular clamor had
no more effect upon him than have the angry
waves upon the rock of Gibraltar. But while
possessing the fortiatr ia re- no man ever ex-
hibifed more of the sscrita br ,aodo. Heear-
ried out the great principles of reform through
advice and assistance of his chosen friends
Not 20 with Mr. Cleveland. He affects to
believe that the safest road lies in the avoid
ance OF his party leaders. He believes that
he is better than his party. His persistence
in forcing colored man on the people of
this District as one of their highest officers,
over the unanimous protest of bis political
friends was piece of political insolenee un-
parallelei in the history of the government
For every Mugwump placated by this pre-
tended devotion to the colOred race he Will
lose thonsani white votes If he wanted
20 do justice to the colored race, why did he
not appoint negro to some important place
in South Carolina or Mississippi, where they
represent majority of the citizens, instead
OF importing one from Massachusetts. where
negro rotes oostat and appointing him to a
place in Washington where nobody votes
Third. Mr. Cleveland is very vain man
He believes he is a child of destiny
These three elements. self-contidence self
esteem, and distrust Of Others, constitute, in
all ages and in all countries, and among all
men the character wilich the worlds calls
tgrosf
Unite them in one man, and then add the
occasion, and you have desE,oti7a Very
many people feared that Grant, having arisen
10 the Presidency by virture Of qualities a.
great soldier would never resign the office
That he would declare himself dictator or
something of that sort No man, however,
who entered into his presence and became
impressed with bis unaffected modesty, ever
went away oppressed with this fear. / have
said that Mr.. Cleveland is honest But what
of that? Most vain men are honest. Hon
esty is no, al all incompatible with tyranny.
Cesar honestly believed that be WAS better
qualified TO govern Rome than was the SEN
ate. Cromwell honestly believed that he was
an instrument in the hands Of Providence TO
reform the government; and acting under
the inspiration of this belief, .he marched his
armed troops into the halls Of parliament, and
est reformer; he believed that the world
would be better for having one ruler instead
of many the one ruler being, of course.
himself But why multiply examples
What ] men to say is, that the man who
thinks he is better than his party. and that
he knows more than its trusted leaders is
dangerous man and the fact ne is honest in
this belief does not render him less so.
Fourth. But there is another element in
Mr. Clevelands character that remains to be
noted. He Is wanting in every element Of
refinement. When / speak of refinement
do not use the term in the sense of elegance
of manners. There are men of the greatest
refinement of character, who are plain and
simple even 70 awkwar,iness in their deport-
menr mean To say that he is coarse and
vulgar that he is fond of show and parade
that his sudden elevation from obscurity 20
fame made him an arisiocrat and gave to the
world another illustration of the truth ofthe
old and homely maxim put a beggar on
horseback, and he will ride TO the devili"
To illustrate. When Mr.. Cleveland was
about 10 marry it was given out that the re-
cent death of relative of the bride was TO b.
regarded a. a reason for quiet and private
ceremony. If this course had had been OBJ
served; if he had gone TO the residence of his
atfianced, and thence on a quiet bridal tour,
the world would have approved his taste
But instead thereof, he initiated in the most
offensive manner the customs of royalty
The bride elect was brought in state 10 the
Castle. With the police guarding the APP
proaches to the White House, in the pres
enee of a select few, surrounded by more
than oriental splendor, the cere mony was
performed. Precious pieces of wedding
cake, enclosed in sarin-lined rosewood
boxes, that were reported TO have cost
fifty dollars each were distributed as memen-
fos of the royal OCCASION What then
This representative Of reform. of the palmer
and =" and better days of the republic" hies
him away To West Virginia and spends his
honeymoon at one of the most aristocratic
country places. surrounded by guard OF
troops under orders TO allow no man to APP
proaeh within a half mile of his royal high
ness Take his recent trip. No crowned
head in Europe ever Travelled in such splen-
dor. baggage car, commissary car, a
palace drawing room ear, a smoker and a
sleeper to transport plain Jeffersonian
Democratic President
OF Mrs Cleveland shall have but little to
say. 1t IS an ungracious and unpleasant task
to eriticise a lady But a. she has. in a pub
lie letter, taken occasion 20 remind the pub
lie that she is the wife Of the president il
is in that character that propose TO discuss
her As plain country girl. have no
doubt but that she was what she Is nova
very pretty woman. But a woman who
could write such silly letter as she wrote 10
a committee Of New York gentleman who
invited her TO make a flag presentation a
wo man who can descend TO the Ilane and
initiate the commercial vanity of common
actress by having her photograph taken in
no loss than 3. huudra1 f;ar.-r. ,.--,,..